Rick and Morty: The Anime is an animated science fiction sitcom series created and developed by Takashi Sano and produced by Studio Deen, Sola Entertainment and Telecom Animation Film for Adult Swim. The third series in the franchise, based on the animated series of the same name by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, it stars Yōhei Tadano as Rick Sanchez and Keisuke Chiba as Morty Smith, reprising their roles from the Japanese dub of the original series, although none of the cast of the English version of the original series reprise their roles.
Following five pilot short films released from March 29, 2020, to November 12, 2021, the series is set to premiere on August 16, 2024.
Plot
The show revolves around the adventures of the members of the Smith household, in particular mad scientist and samurai Rick Sanchez, and his grandchildren, the 14-year-old Morty Smith, and the 17-year-old Summer Smith, whose parents, Jerry and Beth Smith (Rick's daughter), disapprove of their adventures.
Different versions of the characters (including the bespectacled genocider, President Morty Smith) inhabit other dimensions throughout the show's multiverse, with their personal characteristics varying from one reality to another.[1][2]
Cast
Main
- Yōhei Tadano (Japanese); Joe Daniels (English) as Rick Sanchez
- Keisuke Chiba (Japanese); Gabriel Regojo (English) as Morty Smith and President Morty
- Manabu Muraji (Japanese); Joe Daniels (English) as Jerry Smith
- Akiha Matsui (Japanese); Donna Bella Litton (English) as Summer Smith
- Jun Irie (Japanese); Patricia Duran (English) as Beth Smith and Space Beth
Guest
- Manabu Muraji (Japanese) as AI Driver and Hologram Transvestite
- Yuki Minami (Japanese) as Hologram Girl
- Hinata Tadokoro , Daiki Kobayashi , Hodaka Mieno, Nanami Yamashita, and Kazuya Saji (Japanese) as Future Beings
- Misa Ishii (Japanese) as Jessica
A revived Tammy Gueterman / Phoenixwoman will appear in the series.
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
Shorts | 5 | March 29, 2020 | November 12, 2021 | |
1[3] | 10 | August 16, 2024 | October 18, 2024 |
Short films (2020–21)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Samurai & Shogun" | Kaichi Sato | Kaichi Sato | March 29, 2020 |
2 | "Rick and Morty vs. Genocider" | Takashi Sano | Takashi Sano | July 26, 2020 |
3 | "Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)" | Takashi Sano | Takashi Sano | August 2, 2021 |
4 | "The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara" | Masaru Matsumoto | Naohiro Fukushima | October 10, 2021 |
5 | "Samurai & Shogun Part 2" | Kaichi Sato | Kaichi Sato | November 12, 2021 |
Season 1
No. | Title | Directed by [4] | Written by | Original release date [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | August 16, 2024 |
2 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | August 23, 2024 |
3 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | August 30, 2024 |
4 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | September 6, 2024 |
5 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | September 13, 2024 |
6 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | September 20, 2024 |
7 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | September 27, 2024 |
8 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | October 4, 2024 |
9 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | October 11, 2024 |
10 | TBA | Takashi Sano | TBA | October 18, 2024 |
Production
Short films
A six-minute short film titled Samurai & Shogun aired unannounced on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block on March 29, 2020,[a] during the hiatus of the fourth season of Rick and Morty, before being uploaded to Adult Swim's YouTube channel the following day. Written and directed by Kaichi Sato, and produced by Koji Iijima and Studio Deen and executive producer Maki Terashima-Furuta, the episode features a different animation and art style than usual, and is heavily themed around anime, specifically Lone Wolf & Cub. The short stars Yōhei Tadano as "Rick WTM-72" and Keisuke Chiba as "Shogun Morty", the pair reprising their roles from the Japanese dub of the animated series.[5][6]
Another eight-minute short film titled Rick & Morty vs. Genocider aired unannounced on Toonami on July 26, 2020,[b] debuting on YouTube slightly after. Written and directed by Takashi Sano, produced by Sola Entertainment, animated at Telecom Animation Film, and starring Tadano and Chiba as Rick and Morty, Manabu Muraji as Jerry, "AI Driver", and "Hologram Transvestite", and Yuki Minami as "Hologram Girl", the episode explores the conflict between President Morty and Rick C-137.[7][8][9]
A third short film, titled Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil) and also written and directed by Takashi Sano, was released on YouTube on August 2, 2021, and aired on Adult Swim the following day. A fourth short film, titled The Great Yokai Battle of Akihabara, directed by Masaru Matsumoto and written by Naohiro Fukushima, was released on YouTube on October 10, 2021, and aired on Adult Swim the following day. A fifth short film, titled Samurai & Shogun Part 2 and featuring the return of Samurai & Shogun's Kaichi Sato as writer and director, was released on YouTube on November 12, 2021 as part of the 2021 Adult Swim Festival.[citation needed]
Development
On May 18, 2022, due to the positive reception of the previous five films, Adult Swim ordered a 10-episode anime series of Rick and Morty: The Anime, directed by Takashi Sano and from Telecom Animation.[4]
Release
The anime series will premiere on Adult Swim on midnight of August 16, 2024 and on Toonami on midnight of August 18.[10]
Notes
References
- ^ Jung, E. Alex (12 September 2017). "Here's What We Know About Rick and Morty's Evil Morty". Vulture. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ Puchko, Kristy (5 September 2022). "'Rick and Morty' Season 6 premiere explainer: All your mind-blower questions answered". Mashable. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z - Rick and Morty: The Anime on Adult Swim". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ a b Hibberd, James (18 May 2022). "'Rick and Morty' Anime Spinoff Announced by Adult Swim". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ Joho, Jess (29 March 2020). ""Rick and Morty" Are "Samurai & Shogun" in New Adult Swim Short [VIDEO]". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (29 March 2020). "Studio DEEN Produces 5-Minute 'Samurai & Shogun' Short for Rick and Morty Animated Series". Anime News Network. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "'Rick and Morty Vs. Genocider' is a Beautifully Weird Anime Road Trip". 26 July 2020.
- ^ "The Latest Rick and Morty Anime Short is a Time-Twisting Tokyo Thriller". 26 July 2020.
- ^ "Evil Morty Returns in New Rick and Morty Short".
- ^ Loo, Egan (11 July 2024). "Rick and Morty: The Anime's Trailer Confirms August 15 Debut, Bilingual Casts". Retrieved 11 July 2024.
External links
- Rick and Morty: The Anime at IMDb
- Rick and Morty: The Anime (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Short films
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